Scottish Executive

General Practitioners

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio of ancillary staff to general practitioners is in Scotland compared with England and Wales.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

Health Technology Board for Scotland

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21338 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 March 2002, when it will publish details of NHS boards' adherence to advice issued by the Health Technology Board for Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are no proposals to publish details of NHS Boards adherence to advice issued by the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS). NHSScotland is expected to take account of advice and evidence from the HTBS and ensure that recommended drugs or treatments are made available to meet clinical need. Any evidence that emerged either from complaints or through monitoring which suggested that this was not happening would be followed up proactively.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has had with EU Commissioners concerning the compliance of the Glasgow housing stock transfer proposals with EU law.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Commission has written to the Executive for further information so that an evaluation can be made into the allegation that financial assistance to the Glasgow Housing Association failed to comply with EU legislation. The UK Government has responded indicating that it is their view that no state aid is involved.

Scottish Executive Staff

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why it classified the holiday on 3 June 2002 as a privilege holiday for its employees in respect of pay and allowances and what the financial savings as a result of this classification were.

Peter Peacock: The decision to classify the Queen's Golden Jubilee as a privilege holiday was in line with precedent e.g. the Millennium holiday.

  To identify the precise financial savings due to this decision cannot be done without incurring disproportionate costs. However, in general terms the cost to the Scottish Executive for staff required to work on a public holiday is, in addition to their basic pay, at the rate of plain time plus time off in lieu. When time off in lieu cannot be granted, an additional payment for the hours worked will be made at plain time rate. For the hours worked on a privilege holiday payment is made at plain time rate.